Split
by PeachButton
Summary: Chapter 12: Without my consent, my arm flung forward and the scissors split across the room. I held my breath. It crashed into the window and the curtain of glass shattered, shattering into a scintillating pile at my feet.
1. Awakened

**Hi! So this chapter was like...super-duper short cause I just wanted to see if anyone wanted my to continue...**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, the whole Soul-human-body-mind-takeover theme/environment belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I just have I tiny bit of an obsession with The Host and wrote my own Host plot...**

**So yeah. I don't really know where I'm going with this.**

**Enjoy :D**

I was swimming – or was I running? It was too hard to feel through the blackness. It was so dark…I was buried in the murky shadows. Everything felt numb. I moved my rubbery arm through the damp thickness, wondering whether I was underwater or suspended in heavy air.

How…disorienting. Overwhelming. Confusing. Words flew into my head, words I had never heard, yet somehow understood.

Wait.

No. Yes?

Yes, I have heard them. I have heard those words.

I knew what they meant…and there were so many! Everywhere, at my disposal!

Suddenly, the hidden force that seemed to be dangling me in the darkness gave way, and I was set adrift.

Panic hit me.

Where was I? I looked around, unable to see anything but the vast expanse of shadows.

_Who_ was I?

I began breathing rapidly. What reflex was this?

_"Dancer," _an unseen voice called. The word seemed gargled and strange, but I understood it.

Relief spread. Dancer. I was Dancer, of Mars. Dancer, the Red Dust Being.

No, though. That couldn't be right. Dancer's Life Term had ended. _My_ Life Term had ended, on that planet.

So where was I now?

_"Dancer? Red Dancer? Open your eyes…" _The voice quieted to a soft mumble.

Is it addressing me? I was no longer Red Dancer though. I was…I was a Soul.

A Soul! That is what I am! I laughed at myself, at the foolishness of forgetting my own species!

I stirred and felt the black world lightening, the panic draining away. I waited for the hazy picture to clear.

"Agh!" I cried as the world sharpened. My hand clapped over my eyes. What was this brightness? These shouting lights?

A chuckle from above reached my ears and bounced around in my head, still sounding loud and strangled. There were no sounds like this on my last planet. I was still trying to get accustomed to hearing.

"What is the matter?" The voice asked.

"The lights!" I sputtered, "Why do they shout at me?"

"Please remove your hand. This reaction is normal and completely expected," The voice soothed.

I took a shaky breath and slowly pulled my hand away from my face, trusting the voice and its garbled words. I feelt the strange sensation of my arm muscles tightening. What a peculiar body!

My eyelids eased open, and squinted in the glare of the screaming light.

"Wha…What?" I breathed, astonished, as the screaming light changed into...

"Colors." The voice said. My vision focused on his dark and kind face. I immediately trusted the man.

"Welcome to Earth."

I gasped. Earth! Yes! _That_ was the planet on which I had chosen to spend my next Life Term!

I had heard the stories of Earth's color, but never once had experienced it myself. These bodies could separate the kinds of light reflecting from objects, a fascinating capability.

"Stunning," I murmured to myself. There was such a wide spectrum, varying from the deep warmth of the man's skin to the pale, powder of his scrubs.

I was in a sterile room, very clean and white, with spotless tiled floors and ceilings. I sat on a small, pad-like bed. A smile grew on my face, my new lips stretching. I knew exactly where I was.

"You are my Healer?" I asked.

"Yes. Flames Spreading, a pleasure," He said, smiling as he reached down to shake my hand. My hands! They were so slender and white, with dainty fingers and delicate, curved nails.

I then realized that my Infuser was talking to me. I snapped my eyes up from my hands, sitting attentively as he spoke.

"…others before you. You were the first to be successfully inserted, probably due to your experience in this galaxy."

I paid no particular attention to what he was saying, except for a small mistake in my history.

"Solar-system, actually," I politely corrected him, "I've never left this solar-system." I waited for the information to sink in.

His eyes widened. It was extremely rare for a Soul to stay within one galaxy, and almost unheard of to remain in a single solar-system.

"So you've…circled the solar-system?"

"Yes," I said, smiling at his obvious admiration, "I've lived on almost every life-sustaining planet here."

"How many Life Terms have you lived?"

"This will be my sixth." He was drinking up my every word.

Most Souls live only live two, perhaps three Life Terms before settling in one body. Not I, though. I enjoyed guiding lost bodies immensely.

There was a tap on the doorway, and a woman strolled in, wearing an anxious face that didn't match her breezy gait.

"Was the insertion successful?" There was a detectable nervous twitch in her voice.

My Healer smiled. "Very."

Satisfaction replaced her distress. "Good. How do you feel?" She turned, addressing me.

"Wonderful," I said absently as I studied the woman's small, fairy-like features. What was it that made her seem so familiar?

She smiled coolly and strode towards me, her heels clicking against the tile.

"I am Cassandra, one of the Seekers in this facility. I've been making my rounds and introducing myself to the new Souls."

I shied away from her as she looked down at me with her strange smile. The familiarity disappeared.

"If you need anything, please feel free to contact Flames Spreading or myself." With that, she clicked away. I took a deep breath and hoped for her not to return any time soon.

Guilt immediately rinsed over my new body. How could I be thinking such suspicious, human-like thoughts already?

Flames Spreading smiled at my reaction.

"Seeker Cassandra may seem intimidating, but she's a good Soul. Searching for rogue humans is a dangerous Calling, and likely the one of the most taxing."

I nodded in agreement.

"The human's crude machinery killed countless Red Dust beings on Mars. Rolled them right over, mercilessly. That's why I came to Earth. Humans seem to be a race most needy of our guidance, seeing as they have no respect for life."

Flames Spreading shook his head. "Shameless creatures, too."

_But certainly beautiful ones_, I thought as I went back to admiring my pale fingers.

**So did you like it? **

**Should I post the next chapter? (Hopefully it'll be longer...)**

**Reviews and constructive criticism are GREATLY appreciated. Suggestions and criticisms are the only way I can grow as a writer...so please...? Pretty please?**


	2. Reflections

**Hey Guys! So here's chapter 2...It's super short again because I'm kinda in the "See-who's-gonna-read-this" stage. It's actually even shorter than the last chapter, sorry :P**

**Disclaimer: All the stuff belongs to Ms. Meyer, in all of her awesomeness. The environment, the Soul-idea, everything *sigh***

Chapter 2

"This is where you will be staying, Miss."

A different Seeker had escorted me to my new quarters. For some reason, this body was very relieved that my Seeker, Cassandra, was not around.

There was no door to my room, just a rounded opening in the wall. I stepped inside, and looked around.

My housing, like the Healing room, was very blank and very white. Windows stretched across the white walls, with a single pair of sheer curtains pulled across a long curtain rod to cover them. A small, almost cot-like bed sat in the leftmost corner of the room. I stepped softly, across the tiled floors to the bed. The pale blue sheets were pulled tight and folded crisply. The only other furniture in the room was a full length mirror and a small wooden dresser. A half bathroom was connected to my right.

The bare walls called to me, like a fresh piece of paper.

I turned to the new Seeker. What was his name again? Star Blanket?"Would I be allowed to decorate this area?" I asked, carefully keeping the hope out of my voice.

The Seeker gave me a strange look.

"I'm sorry, that won't be possible," He said rather curtly, without providing an explanation.

"Oh." I felt embarrassment coloring my face. What a foolish human emotion. I was going to have to learn to control these strong feelings that live inside this body.

Despite the foolishness of some of these emotions, I was quite anxious to experience one in particular: Fear. I had never felt fear before, not on any of my other planets. I suppose second to fear, I wanted to feel love. I've heard that humans love with much more of an intensity than other species.

A new excitement swelled in my chest. Perhaps on this planet, I would meet my Partner.

I turned around. The Seeker – Star Blanket – had left. I hadn't noticed.

Even though I was the only one here, the entire room still lacked privacy. Anyone could walk by and glance into my room. It was all so…open.

I turned and faced the mirror, leaning in to study myself.

My hair was charcoaled and piceous, hanging in loose curls that fell down my shoulders. My nose was small and rounded, and my lips were pink and full. Everything about my new body made it seem so vulnerable.

My new eyes were a grey-color, making it hard to distinguish the color of the body's irises from my own silver ring that circled the pupil.

I tilted even closer to the mirror, so that my nose and forehead touched the cool glass.

What truly strange eyes. They weren't just gray, but many shades of the color. The iris was edged in an ashy hue, like gathering storm clouds, then faded to a medium, quarry rock grey. But the center of the eyes, the strip of color peeking from behind my silver, was truly the most interesting. It was pearly, lighter than gray. Like the color had been siphoned out.

They seemed ghostly to me: Beautiful, but trimmed with an uncertain terror.

**:p**

**Reviews? PLEASE I am BEGGING you. Down on my hands and knees. I will never get to be a better writer if no one tells me everything that I'm doing wrong. **

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	3. Stars (IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT)

**Disclaimer: The Soul-World and everything belongs completely to Stephanie Meyer.**

**WAIT.**

**BEFORE YOU READ!**

**Important-ish Announcement:**

**Hey Guys! So...I had a pretty good idea.**

**So I thought it would be cool if you guys sent me some minor characters, and I'd pick a bunch, and use them in my story at some point. So...here's a little kinda fill-out-sheet-thingie.**

**Character's Name:**

**Character's Age:**

**Character's Gender:**

**A couple of the character's "Good Traits" (No boring ones!):**

**A couple of the character's "Bad Traits" (Again, no boring ones!):**

**Character's backstory:**

**Character's appearance:**

**Send these to me through a review or a private message.**

**Am I doing this because I'm too lazy to make a list of minor characters? Yes. But I'm also doing it because I've love doing little character sheets and seeing what other people come up with.**

Chapter 3

I lost track of time, set adrift in the reflection of my own hypnotizing eyes.

I jolted out of my trance-like state by a tapping in my doorway. I wheeled around.

It was my Seeker.

My stomach dropped. What was it about this woman that made me want to spin on my heel and run?

Was this fear?

What a disappointment.

I smiled, trying to take on a blithe gait. This was not fear. This Soul did not scare me.

"Hello, Seeker. What brings you to my Housing?"

She matched my easygoing smile. "I just wanted to check in with you, see how you are adjusting to your new body."

"I'm adjusting well, thank you. The hearing problem has faded, though colors are still a bit harsh to look at. It's not really affecting me very much in such a…blank room though."

Her smile stayed frozen on her face as she tilted her head sideways. Strips of her flat goldenrod hair swung.

The hair.

The hair. Where did I know it from?

The Seeker continued, "Tomorrow we will attempt to access this Host's memories. We are certain that she was travelling with a group of humans, and we're fairly sure she knew the location of others."

I nodded, ignoring the nagging familiarity.

"Many Souls have had problems adjusting with this body. It's been months, and a Soul has yet to successfully bind to it."

"Do you know why that is?"

"We're not sure if it's because the Host is resistant or because of the damage to her head."  
I shuddered at the word "Resistant." The success rate of Souls inserted into resistant Hosts is extraordinarily low. I brushed my cowardly reactions off.

"Head damage?"

"Yes…" The Seeker trailed off, "Haven't you looked through her history yet?"

"Oh," I said, remembering the hours spent staring into the mirror, "I haven't gotten to it yet."

The Seeker gave me a skeptical look. "She was surrounded when she pulled out a gun, and tried to kill herself."  
A tiny gasp escaped my lips.

"Thankfully, her aim was off. At the angle she held it, the bullet tore open her forehead and grazed her skull."

I remembered noticing the faint scar that ran curved across my forehead.

"The blow rattled her brain severely. At first, we thought we might not be able to save her."

I bit my lip. I had no idea the body had been through so much trauma.

"Anyway, like I said, please alert Healer Flames or I if you develop any unusual symptoms."

"Okay. Thank you."

She turned and clicked away.

I flipped against the wall and sunk down to my knees. Why did the Seeker make me feel so anxious? How could I feel so endangered when there was no danger…anywhere?

My head began to pound a little. I stood up, rubbing my temple. I needed to wash up, it was getting late.

Before heading to the bathroom, I swept open my sheer curtains. The windows revealed the descending sun. It had already begun its fiery fall into the night. A bit of forgotten light lingered over the skyline of Montana.

Montana? Was that what Star Blanket had said?  
Yes, I believe so. Billings, Montana. Of course, I was flooded with the memory of him speaking to me about it while he escorted me to my room. Perhaps it was the head injury that made the body so forgetful.

Red light gleamed, ringed around the single somewhat run-of-the-mill star that this solar system circled. That _my _solar system circled.

I yanked my eyes away from the sight; I had the urge to draw it, to rip out my sketchpad and capture the moment on paper.

I ambled across the room to the open, spread half-bath. The toilet, sink and shower, like the rest of the room, were polished and white.

I leaned over the sink, again enchanted with my own reflection. The pounding in my head had worsened to a steady throb. I was doing my best to ignore it.

I ran my slender fingers across my jaw, feeling the bone underneath my skin. The perception of touch danced across my finger pads.

Human perception. I shut the thought out of my mind. It was too mind-bogglingly complex to think about.

I slid my palms all across my face, over the hill of my nose and gentle bow in the center of my upper lip. They skimmed across the delicate skin of my eyelids and the soft shapeliness of my eyebrows.

"Agh!"

My shriek split the peacefulness of the room.

Everything was burning.

Burning.

On fire.

My thoughts came out in disjointed fragments.

It was like my head

My body

Was being seared open

Ripped apart

Tearing

Split in half.

My breath came out in short, hot puffs. I collapsed on the ground, curling into a ball, trying to make myself as small as possible.

I needed to get away.

To escape.

There was so much

Pain.

It wavered across my vision

It was making

My eyes

Burn.

What

What was this?

What was happening to me?

And just like that, it was gone. The pain was washed away, not even the faintest throb was left in my forehead. I lay on the floor, panting.

Did this count as an unusual symptom, the kind that my Seeker had talked about? But it was so…short. Everything happened within seconds.

I pushed myself up off of the floor, only slightly disoriented. I tried to shake the feeling off.

My face was still damp with sweat, and I was breathing hard. I shuffled over to the sink, ignoring a wave of dizziness that plummeted over me.

I leaned over the sink, splashing water on to my face. The cold felt good against my clammy skin.

Adrenaline was still pumping through me. I grabbed my stomach. It felt like someone had kicked it out of my body.

I heard fervent knocking coming from my doorway.

"Hello? I thought I heard someone shout?"

It was Star Blanket.

I tried to stop my hands from shaking as I walked into the main room to meet him. His face was stricken with concern. I smiled.

"I'm fine, thank you. I-I fell," I said, stuttering slightly over the lie.

The anxious look did not leave his face, but he smiled. "Okay then. I came here because…well – I was wondering – have you picked a name yet?"

A name. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind.

"Oh," I sputtered, "Um, truthfully, I haven't even thought about it yet."

His smile grew, "Well, perhaps after you have a name, I could take you out to dinner sometime."  
"Uh-" I stammered, shocked at his directness. I fought off the body's strange urge to giggle.

He laughed. I liked the sound of it.

"Goodbye," He said, disappearing down the hallway.

I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding.

Excitement quickly set in. I had been on the planet for less than a day, and I already had a possible partner! I felt my heart ballooning inside my chest.

The lights hanging from the ceiling suddenly switched on. They must be automatic.

The sun had fully set, fallen behind the pale haze of distant mountains. Nighttime had fully rolled in, engulfing the city in a canopy of darkness. The night was freckled with stars, glittering through the hazy, apparitional clouds that hung low on the barely discernible horizon.

The moon though, had taken the center stage. It dangled in front of its black velvet curtains, full and round. Its silver resplendence had a striking resemblance to my own eyes.

_Luna._

The name seemed to whisper its way through the window. Luna, like the moon.

I liked the sound of it. The softness of the _l, _the circular sound of the _u. _

I smiled. Tomorrow, I would tell Star Blanket that he could call me Luna. Then he could be the stars, and I could be the moon.

I fell back onto my bed, wrinkling the crisp folds in the sheets. The lights immediately blinked out. I shuddered, a strange feeling. Why did the feeling of being watched make this body uncomfortable? It was only for protection.

Still though, I wished I were able to close the doorway. I longed to shut myself in, into my own safety.

I told myself that I was even safer with the Seekers watching me. Maybe Star Blanket was one of them.

I smiled, sailed off into a sea of darkness and dreams.

**Thanks a million for reading! And thanks a million MORE if you review! I love reading reviews and seeing what people think of my writing, even if they HATE it and think it's TERRIBLE.**

**So, please guys. Explain my every mistake. Nitpick. Please! I need it so I can improve.**


	4. Jeff

Chapter 4 

The Seeker arrived at my doorway minutes after I woke up. I was dressed plainly, in generic clothes I had found in my small dresser.

"Cassandra," I smiled, trying to release the immediate tension that struck my body at the sight of her.

"Soul…" She said, trailing off.

"Luna." I still wore my smile.

"Luna…hmm. Pretty," she said simply.

"I feel it suits the body."

She wasted no time. "Are you ready to access the Host's memories?"

I ran my fingers through my sleep-tangled hair. "I suppose."

"Good. Come with me."

I followed the Seeker down the hallway, feeling somewhat like a led horse. I passed Star Blanket. He smiled at me.

It was amazing how a simple gesture could make this body tingle.

Every hallway seemed the same to me. We could be walking in circles, for all I knew.

My Seeker stopped at a room down the fourteenth or fifteenth hallway. Unlike many of the other rooms, this one had a door, rather than just an open doorway.

She turned the doorknob and stepped inside. I followed.

"Hello," Healer Flames greeted me warmly.

I glanced around the room. It had a long stretch of windows and was empty except for a long, white table. The Healer sat at the head.

"She calls herself Luna," my Seeker stated. I nodded.

He considered it for a second. "A lovely name...why did you choose it?"

I smiled. "This body's eyes remind me of the moon."  
Healer Flames smiled as well. "Remember Luna, they're not the body's eyes; they're your eyes."

The comment made me feel foolish. Of course, this body was mine. This was my body now.

"Have a seat," my Seeker said. It was likely meant to sound welcoming, but there was a slight asperity in her voice. It sounded more like an order. I sat down quickly, and took a deep breath.

My Healer looked to the Seeker. She nodded at him

"Okay, Luna," Healer Flames spoke quietly, "Close your eyes and relax. This won't be difficult at all." His voice was so soothing.

I did as he asked, shutting my eyes and letting my breathing even out to a slow, constant pattern.

"Now navigate to her memories," the Healers voice drifted into my ears.

But I was already there.

_The Seekers wrapped around me, surrounding me. I was trapped. This was it. This was the end. There were six or seven, a few had their guns out._

_"Please, come peacefully with us,"_

_"We only want to help," another chimed in._

Fear struck me. I realized I was panting. My stomach, it seemed, had dropped into the floor. My legs twitched to run, run out of here.

I decided I did not like fear.

_My breathing was ragged and shallow. I was done. I was going to die. But I couldn't let them take me. I reached into my pocket, fumbling for the gun._

_I heard the click of more guns being drawn. They stayed trained on my head._

_No one could save me now. Not even Jeff –_

A face flashed through my head, too fast to make out.

_Jeff._

I dived back into the memory.

_I searched for the gun with sweaty fingers, half-wishing Jeff –_

Someone screamed. And everything was lit aflame. My body, the Seekers and the old warehouse that I was about to die in.

Hot, swirling air choked the memory. Sparks gleefully danced into the air. Then plumes of black smoke tumbled from the ground in thick puffs, burning me, burning Jeff.

The memory was gone.

My eyelids shot open. Healer Flames wore an anxious face.

"Well?" My Seeker asked, sharply. The Healer turned to her, giving a questioning look.

"Her name is Dana."

My head began to pound.

"Dana Hatch."

The pounding quickened. My stomach seemed to fall even farther into the floor

My stomach seemed to fall even farther into the floor, remembering last night.

"She had strong ties to another rogue human. Jeff, I believe."

The pounding turned into banging, like someone was trying to bash my skull from the inside out.

"Excuse me," I said, rocketing up to my feet. The dull, bruising pain was making me woozy. I grabbed the back of the chair. "I have a bit of a headache. Could I go and get some water?" I could feel panic foaming in the pit of my stomach. I bead of sweat rolled down my face, splashing into my eye and blurring my vision. I gripped the chair harder  
Healer Flames stood up. "Are you alright, Luna?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." I sucked in a sharp breath as a stabbing pain shot through the back of my head.

"I'll accompany you to the bathroom," my Seeker said.

"That's – that's very kind, but I can handle this myself." I turned on my heel and sped out of the room, closing the door behind me.

The pain was nauseating. My world rocked back and forth.

I grabbed the doorknob to keep my balance. I had passed a bathroom on my way to navigate my Host's memories. Which hallway was that?

I think it was the

Wait. No. How many hallways did I walk down?

Look.

Left.

Right.

No. They're all

Exactly

The Same.

The bathroom was

It's where I need to go. I need to get there before

I need to get there quickly.

Star Blanket passes me.

No.

Please.

Not now.

I turn too fast. The world is spinning. Around and around and around and around…

The pain.

It turns my vision red. It's everywhere. I just want it to stop. Please. Just stop.

"Hello." The single word is too loud. Loud, like something crashing. Grinding metal.

It's Star Blanket.

I need to tell him I have to go. But I can't. My voice is so weak.

"I need to get…" My voice is strangled.

"I need to leave." Now.

I need to escape. I start to stumble down the hallway. Star Blanket rushes to my side. My vision is shifting, but I can see alarm cross his face

"Help!" He calls down the hallway.

No. No help, I don't need it.

But it just…hurts…so…much.

I'm sinking, falling into the warmth of the darkness.

My stomach is hot, and my throat is burning. There's a rancid taste in my mouth.

Vomiting.

I am vomiting.

But the darkness calls to me, enfolding me in its curtain. Here I am safe.

I blacked out.

**Cliffhanger!**

**Please guys, I need reviews more than anything. I need to know what mistakes I'm making! I'll give ten thousand million hundred billion virtual internet hugs to anyone who reviews my writing.**

**Check out Chapter 3's Important Announcement and send me a Private Message/Review to see if I can work one of YOUR characters into my story.**

**Alright. I'm going to go eat a sandwich now, so I must leave.**

**Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!**


	5. Voices

**My longest chapter yet!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

I sat in the hospital bed with nothing to do but twiddle my thumbs.

I woke seconds after I blacked out, to find myself slumped over in my own vomit. The Healers rushed me down to the hospital, where I have remained for the afternoon. Healer Flames, who had tended to me during my hospital stay, was outside, speaking with my Seeker in fervent whispers. I closed my eyes and pretended I couldn't hear what they were talking about.

But their hushed words seemed to be the only thing that entered my ears. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't block it out. Guilt ate at me, for listening to their private conversation.

_"We _need _to remove her!" _My Healer said forcefully.

"_No!" _Cassandra hissed, "_She's the first to have lasted more than a few hours in the body. She'll have to deal with this."_

It was rare to see such an argument between Souls.

_"I'm sorry, Seeker, but this is far too dangerous. The head wound has obviously affected the body's memories. This is useless, to have Luna is such pain."_

_ "No, I'm sure the memories are still present. She got us a name – two names, in fact! It's far from useless!"_

_ "Perhaps for your mission, it is worthwhile, but I cannot have my patients in pain."_

My Seeker's voice shifted. _"Please, Healer. Just give me a few more days. It will make our world safer, once we have guided the rogue humans into the light._

My Healer sighed. _"Luna should have a say in this."_

My Seeker made a dissatisfied noise.

They returned to my hospital bedside.

"How are you feeling, Luna?" Healer Flames asked.

I smiled. "I am much better. These headaches are quite strange. The pain will just leave, as if it has given up."

Healer Flames nodded, intrigued. "Yours is a very interesting situation. You see, you have spent the longest amount of time in this body than the Souls before you. Many had asked to be removed. The only reason we didn't discard this body was because its memories hold critical information on the whereabouts of wild humans."

I nodded, and motioned for him to go on.

He exhaled loudly. "We are not sure –"

My Seeker interrupted, "_Healer Flames _isn't sure –" My Healer cut her off by firmly placing a hand on her arm.

"We are not sure if this information is worth the risk. This body seems to be causing you a lot of pain."

A beat of silence skipped by and the sounds of the hospital seemed to hush.

"The pain would be for the greater good…but…I suppose it is your choice," My Seeker relented.

I sighed. The choice was an obvious one. I would do anything to help my people.

Even so, I sat in the silence of the room, contemplating if these excruciating head-aches would become a pattern.

_Oh, they will._

The voice was filled with malice and hatred. My head jerked sideways, searching for the body that belonged to the voice.

"Are you all right, Luna?"

There was no one in the room but Healer Flames and the Seeker.

"Oh, I'm fine…" I mumbled, "I just thought I…thought I…never mind."

"Well then…would you prefer to be removed?" The Healer asked kindly.

"Or you could stay in the body for the greater –" Healer Flames hushed the Seeker.

I tipped my head to the side, letting my long hair tickle down my arms. "I…I will stay in this Host, to access her memories."

Visible relief rinsed the Seeker's face, and her body relaxed.

_You won't take me._

It was a hiss, angry but soft. I whipped around. What was going on?

The Seeker put a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure you're alright?" There was no concern in her voice, just cold, hard questioning.

I gave a tight laugh. "I just thought I heard something."

She gave me a dubious look.

"Healer Flames," I blurted suddenly, "Would it be possible for me to return to my Housing?"

I needed space. I needed to think. I needed to flee the Seeker's piercing eyes.

Healer Flames matched my Seeker's expression, sporting a doubtful look of his own. "Are you _sure _you're feeling okay, Luna?"

"Yes. Like I said, the pain just leaves." I kept my voice sure and even.

"Uh – well, alright then…I suppose you can go. Make sure you come back if you're in any pain at all."

"I will," I said, getting off the bed and climbing to my feet. "Goodbye Flames Spreading. Goodbye Cassandra."

I closed the door behind me before they had a chance to say I had to stay in the hospital ward a while longer. I leaned against the wall, thinking about the voice.

Was I hearing things? Was this another effect of the head wound?

I spun around and strode down the hallway. I knew I would eventually need to ask someone for help in order to find my room, but I pretended I knew where I was going just to prolong my trip to my housing. In truth, I was growing afraid to be alone in there. What if the voice came back?

I longed to turn back to the hospital ward, but that would raise suspicion.

I turned a corner and walked straight into Star Blanket. I stumbled backwards and he caught me by the arm. I expected him to laugh, but his face was a mask of concern.

"Are you alright?"

I smiled. A distraction. Something to keep me out of my housing for a few more precious minutes.

"I'm fine, actually. My body suffered a head injury before Insertion, but I am much better now."

He smiled tightly. "Good."

"I do have a question for you, Star Blanket."

"Yes?"

"How come it seems that every turn I take, you are always standing on the other side?"

"Truthfully, I've been following you," He said.

"Oh?"

"Healer Flames asked me to. He said you could use another eye looking out for you."

I smiled at Healer Flames's kindness.

"Well, thank you then."

"Healer Flames also told me that you are now calling yourself Luna," He said.

"Yes. I like it very much."  
"I do too."

My smile grew.

"And since I now have a name…" I started.

"Ah, yes." He said, picking up on what I was trying to lead

in to, "Dinner for two. Perhaps tomorrow night?"

Excitement flourished in my chest. "Tomorrow night

sounds very nice."

"I'll see you, Luna."

He walked by me, in brisk strides down the hall. I turned in

the opposite direction, facing the desolate hallway alone.

My steps were too loud for the silent hallway; each footfall shattered the peacefulness like the snap of a rubber band on tender skin.

I finally passed a Seeker, someone who could lead me to my Housing.

"E-excuse me," I said, stammering slightly, "I'm Luna…and I'm a little lost."

The Seeker, dressed head to toe in a white that blended into the walls, turned to me. She smiled. She was very pale and plain except for a shock of red hair twisting down her shoulders.

"Well, Lost Luna, I am Red Leaves in the Wind, but most call me Red. Where are you headed?"

Lost Luna. I giggled at the name. "I'm trying to get to the Housing wing."

"Oh, easy," She laughed, "Please, follow me."

She expertly led me down the hallways, arriving quickly at the long hallway of open doorways.

"Thank you, Red," I said with a smile.

"Goodbye, Lost Luna."

I waved slightly as she turned and strode away.

Even taking slow, shuffled steps, I arrived at my own doorway far too quickly. The silence of the room buzzed in my ears.

I slipped across the room, easing down onto the corner of my bed.

Jeff. The name had been bothering me since I'd found him in the bodies memories. Jeff, Jeff, Jeff.

"Jeff," I said aloud, feeling the word rolling across my tongue, "Jeff."

I leapt to my feet as the face flashed through my mind again. Briskly, I stepped over to my small dresser, pulling out the bottom drawer to locate my sketchbook. I ripped it out, listening to the mumble of the fluttering pages. I scrambled to find a pencil as well.

Closing my eyes, I sat on the floor against the wall and tried to relax.

"Jeff," I said out loud. I searched my mind for the face attached to the name. "Jeff," I said again.

There it was! I could see the face, wavering through the darkness of my closed eyes.

Jeff. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Strong jaw. Straight nose. Light stubble. He couldn't be more than 23 or 24. My eyelids popped open, and my pencil moved across the page.

I began to sketch the face in my memories – a set, sharp face shape. I outline the way his dark hair, similar to my own, fell over onto his forehead. I shaded in his long lashes and inky eyes.

A memory quickly engulfed my mind.

_Jeff was leaning over the bathroom sink, holding a plastic tube of gel. It had overflowed, bits of the sticky goop dripping off his fingers and splashing into the sink._

_He turned to me, smiling, with his hair spiked forward, coated in the slime._

_I – this body, Dana – laughed._

Jeff. Jeff Hatch.

Jeff Hatch, Dana's brother. This body's brother.

My brother?

_Stop! _

It was a shout. A shriek, more like it. It was a terrified and furious shriek.

My hands moved without me telling them to, sending dark streaks of graphite across the sketch of Jeff.

I felt like I was having a seizure. My head rocked and I lost control of my body.

I leapt to my feet, hurling the pencil out of my hand. My sketch pad fell from my lap, the pages ruffling to the ground.

And suddenly, the world stopped spinning.

I opened and closed my fingers. Took two steps forward. Tilted my head side-to-side.

I was in control again.

What _was _that?

A familiar, painful beat began in my head.

Oh no.

"No, no, no" I whispered, sinking against my dresser, "Please, I'll do anything."

The beating stopped.

_Get out of my body._

The voice was low and menacing.

My body?

_No, my body!_

I gasped. I was becoming surer and surer by the second that the voice was coming from within my own head.

_Can you hear me? _I asked tentatively.

There was a slight pause.

_Of course I can._

I rose to my feet, shock taking over my body. Breathing heavily, I wobbled over to my mirror, staring at myself.

"Of course I can," I said out loud, copying the words of the voice. I sucked in a sharp breath.

"Of course I can," I said again, matching the voice's exact pitch and tone.

My voice was the same as the one in my head.

_Dana?_

**Hope I left you on the edge of your seat...:)**

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	6. Remembering

**Chapter Six! Voila!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything an all belongs to SM.**

Chapter 6 – Remembering

_You'll never get away with this._

Her voice was even and sure. I took a deep breath.

_Please listen, I'm not trying to get away with anything._

_ Bullshit. _

Humans are such stubborn creatures. Once an idea has been placed in their head, they lose the ability to think with an open mind.

_I'm sorry that you feel it was not worthwhile for me to guide your body, but I do need to access your memories. Would you please allow me?_

_ Never._

The word was a short, simple six letters, yet held an ugly, hateful longevity.

_Will you work with me then?_

There was no response. Seconds ticked by.

_Who is Jeff? Is he your brother?_

I suddenly felt very foolish, talking to voices inside my own mind. Yet somehow I knew that Dana was very real. I was not alone in my own head.

I hoped this would benefit everyone.

I returned to my sketchpad, erasing the graphite skid marks Dana's hands had left on my picture. Slow and deliberate, I retraced the lines of his jaw and nose. When finished, I began absently shaded under the cheekbones, thinking about other matters.

Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. I knew I should report the information that Jeff was Dana's sibling, but I truly did not want to see my Seeker again. The information didn't seem crucial anyway.

I closed my eyes.

_How many siblings do you have?_ I asked into the darkness. I had a strange feeling Dana had more than one.

No response. I wasn't expecting one.

I glanced out my window. The sun was falling towards the spread of hazy blue mountains in the distance. It was definitely past noon, maybe four or five o'clock. I should've been downstairs, eating dinner. I wasn't too hungry though.

I longed to step back into the body's memories, and explore Dana's past. It was like becoming a new person, accessing new thoughts and feelings. I sat down by the bed, keeping my sketchbook and pencil close beside me, in case I needed them.

I fell into another of the body's memories.

_It was dark and warm here. I – Dana – was sitting upon a bed of dirt underneath the floor boards of a…a…_

The exact type and make of the building vanished from my thoughts, even though I had known it only seconds earlier.

_I was underneath floor boards. I could hear several bodies breathing beside me, all asleep. I was talking to someone in a hushed whisper, a woman. We had waited until nightfall to speak of it, because of its secrecy._

I squinted at the memory, trying to make out the face of the woman. My attempts were fruitless. It was too dark to even spot my own two hands.

I tried to quiet my own thoughts, to listen to the conversation. The words leaving my – Dana's? – mouth were harsh, and seemed to reverberate through the darkness. I couldn't understand them.

_Dana? _I asked myself, _Are you doing this?_

I waited a few seconds, pulling myself out of the memory and sighing.

_If you won't help me, they'll discard the body._

Still, no response. I clarified, in case she didn't understand what that meant.

_If you don't help me, you'll –_

_I know what it means! I know what will happen! _She exploded.

I was taken aback by her sudden angry response. Humans were so unpredictable.

Even so, I contemplated her words for a second.

_So you'd die to protect these rogue humans?_

_Yes. _

She answered the second I finished the question. There was no hesitation in her voice, no waver of uncertainty.

_But don't you see? _I asked, getting frustrated with her narrow-mindedness, _You're not protecting them! You're making them suffer in this such a violent and unstable world!_

I felt Dana's presence drifting away. She had left the conversation.

The room suddenly seemed eerily silent. I picked up my pencil and began adding lines of hair to Jeff's picture. It wasn't necessary, but the scratching of my pencil against paper helped me feel less alone.

Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. I repeated in my head. I spelled his name out on paper, in fancy, curling script.

Where was he now?

Another memory tumbled through my mind.

_I was in my bed, a soft mattress with pale yellow sheets._

Much more comforting than my cold and sterile cot.

_My head was laid back on the pillow. I was thinking about Jeff. He was in college…his third year. He had left a few months ago, and this body missed him terribly._

_But I was hopeful because…because he was coming home today._

_And today was Thanksgiving. _

The details of the memory flooded back to me.

_I rolled out of my bed, filled with new excitement. This body was aching to throw its arms around Jeff like a little girl._

_I remember dressing comfortably, in a soft pink sweater and jeans._

Quickly, I threw a glance down at my cotton tee-shirt and rough, ill-fitting denim pants.

_I was counting the minutes until he was supposed to arrive: later today, at twelve o'clock, just in time for lunch._

_I pushed against the bathroom door to wash up._

_There was a strange body leaning over the sink, splashing water on its face._

_I recognized it almost immediately._

_"Jeff!" I squealed._

_He looked up, spreading his arms, "Dana!" _

_Laughing, I bounded across the bathroom into his arms. We stayed, embraced for a moment._

_"Why are you here, now?" I asked, looking up at him._

_"I decided to sneak in here a little early."_

_I pulled out of his hug, giggling as I realized he had grown a beard while he was gone._

_"What's up with the facial hair?" I asked. _

_He grinned, stroking it with his fingers._

_"You like it?"_

_"It makes you look like a…" I said, trailing off, trying to find the right words._

_"It makes me look like what," He said, placing his hand over his heart in mock hurt._

_"A grown-up," I said, wrinkling my nose, "it makes you look like a man."_

_He laughed. "Well Kate thinks it looks sexy."_

Kate?

_"Kate! Is she here?" I squealed._

_He laughed and nodded. "She's downstairs with mom."_

The memory cut off there.

Kate. Bits and pieces of her face came back to me. Pale skin and a spatter of freckles. Feathery brown hair always in a ponytail. I couldn't pinpoint exactly…who she was though.

_I found Kate. _I said, expecting another splitting headache or an angry explosion from Dana. But there was nothing.

I moved my hand across a new page, drawing a thin, oval shaped face. I sketched the outline of her ponytail and the placement of her eyes. What color were they? Blue? Green?

_Who's Kate? _

I felt the need to keep the conversation going, even if it was one-sided. It was too quiet in this room.

_Kate was Jeff's girlfriend._

Dana's voice came back, faintly.

_Emphasis on 'was.'_

I knitted my brows, confused.

_I don't understand what you mean. Did she…die?_

I felt Dana tense up.

_Worse, _she growled, _She was erased. You people stole her._

Ah. Kate was guided out of the human's violent ways. I felt a rush of happiness for her.

I ignored her Dana's "erased" comment, and instead leaned back against my bed, thinking about laughing with Jeff. How safe I – this body – felt when he hugged me. A tiny smile played on my lips.

Dana sent an image of Jeff, standing cold and hard, with silver ringed around his dark eyes.

My smile vanished.

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	7. Warden

**So...How's Luna feeling about Jeff...**

**Will she give him away to the Seekers?**

**Find out:**

Chapter 7 – Warden 

I couldn't concentrate with the clicking of my Seeker's heels as she paced across the tiles.

"Have you found anything yet?" Healer Flames asked patiently.

"I – I'm sorry," I said, frustrated. I was having trouble focusing on the memories. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

And it was the truth; I couldn't close my eyes with Dana restless in my mind, imagining Jeff's eyes ringed in silver.

Jeff, with another being inside his body.

"Jeff Hatch was Dana's brother," I said, weakly, repeating the same information for the second or third time.

"_Yes _Dana," The Seeker spat, "We know."

"I – I have a vague idea of what he looks like," I offered. The Seeker's eyes sparkled with something I couldn't detect. She turned to me, stopping her incessant pacing.

_No! _Dana cried, _don't tell them, please!_

"Would you care to describe him to me?" The Seeker asked, tilting her head to the side.

I knew her. I definitely knew her. This body, Dana knew who she was. Dana had numerous memories of a woman who used to tilt her head in the exact manner.

_Dana, who _is _she?_

There was no response.

_Who is she? I know you remember _something_..._

_No. I don't know who she is. _

Dana's voice was soft and strained. Even I could tell she was lying.

The Seeker snapped her fingers.

"Luna? Jeff! What does he look like?" She demanded.

"Perhaps it would be easier for her to draw him? I know her Calling is an artistic one," Healer Flames said pleasantly.

I nodded. "Yes, please. I would prefer drawing him." I decided not to tell them I had a very detailed sketch hidden in the bottom drawer of my dresser.

_Please, they can't know._

The memory of Jeff pulling me into a hug on Thanksgiving Day engulfed me. I felt my mouth quirk into a slight smile.

"I'll be right back," Healer Flames said, standing to find me a piece of paper.

The room was silent. My Seeker stood by the window, gazing off into some distant place.

_What if I never see him again?_

Dana's voice broke into a shuddering breath. I felt her aching for her older brother.

I also felt a twinge of sympathy for the human. Her own mind had become a jail. A jail well deserved, but a prison all the

Healer Flames returned quickly, with a sheet of glossy white paper and a blue pen.

_Please, _she begged, _don't show them who he is._

Her intentions to "protect" her family, though misguided, were admirable.

_It's a little late for that, _I said, surprised to hear a note of sorrow in my thoughts.

Healer Flames slid the pen and paper across the large table, motioning for me to draw the man in Dana's memories.

_Just draw someone else! _She exclaimed, as I hesitantly picked up the pen.

_Someone else?_

_Yes! Just…just make someone up._

I thought of Jeff, wondering what he was doing right now. Maybe he was thinking about his little sister.

I started to draw a head, one with a jaw much squarer than Jeff's.

Maybe Jeff was reliving the nightmare of what it must've been to come back to the warehouse the night Dana almost killed herself. To come back and find Dana gone, and her blood on the cement floor.

I continued to sketch a nose rounder and a bit smaller than Jeff's.

_Where was Jeff the night that the Seekers…found you? _

I was genuinely curious.

_He…_she said haltingly, _He and…he had gone to the dumpster outside of one of the supermarkets a little ways into one of the towns._

_Why?_

_To find food._

_You…you ate out of dumpsters? _I chose my words carefully.

_Yes._

My mind overflowed with thoughts of how badly the humans must want to keep their bodies to themselves.

Selfish creatures.

I drew over the rounded, smaller nose, straightening it and hardening it. Making it look more like Jeff's

_No, actually. It wasn't selfish at all._

Dana's voice sizzled with anger. I didn't respond.

_How is it selfish to want what is rightfully yours? Selfish people put themselves before others. I am _not _selfish. I died trying to keep my memories from you people._

_Almost died, _I corrected.

_I might as well be dead. I am to the rest of the world. No…no one knows I'm here. _

I heard the strangled pain in her voice, and felt the odd urge to comfort her.

_I know you're here._

I gave Jeff smaller eyes that sunk deep into his skin and added small, generic lips. I etched the lines of sleep-deprived bags into his skin and shaded the inner corner of his eyes.

I pulled back, searching the face I had drawn. The Seekers eyes were on me, analyzing each line of my pen. I tried not to shudder. She always seemed to be present, even when she wasn't physically around to watch me. It made me feel strange…like I was vulnerable even though I knew I was safe.

_Creeped out. _Dana supplied words for my feelings.

I gave the picture of the unknown man dark, curly hair pushed away from his face and falling to the tips of his ears.

_Give him a scar, _Dana suggested.

_Why?_

_Because when you're looking for a person, you watch for unique characteristics._

_Like scars?_

_Yeah. They'll be searching for a man with a scar…instead of Jeff._

I smiled at the easy deception required to keep Jeff away from my Seeker.

I outline a curved, jagged line running from the eyebrow up to the forehead and dropped my pen.

"I'm finished," I said, pushing the paper across the table towards my Seeker. She snatched the drawing from the table in a manner that reminded me of a toddler trying to steal their friends' toys without the teacher noticing.

"The drawing his quite amazing," Healer Flames observed cheerfully, "Don't you think, Cassandra?"

"It is indeed," She said distantly, studying the sketch with a burning intensity, "But it is not Jeff."

I contained my gasp.

"What do you mean?" Healer Flames asked.

"What I _mean _is this is not the face of Jeff Hatch."

"I – I don't understand," I stammered, "How do you know?"

The Seeker suddenly became quite flustered. "I don't…well, I mean, of course I do. I just – I just don't know."

Healer Flames eyed her skeptically. "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"_Yes!_" She said with sudden force. Taking a step backwards, she held a hand to her temple.

"I apologize, Luna. I just – I don't know."

It was a half-hearted apology, but I accepted it the way it was.

"And you're sure this is Jeff?" Healer Flames inquired. I simply nodded, fearing that my voice would give away the truth.

"Well," Healer Flames said, getting to his feet, "I think that's enough for today." He headed over to my Seeker, who leaned against the wall, coated in agitation. You could see it easily, in her tight, distraught face and stiff body. He put a hand gently on her back.

"You should rest, Seeker. It's been a long day."

I looked out the window. The sun had just reached the highest point in its climb into the sky. It was noon. The day was far from over, and there was much to look forward to.

Including my outing with Star Blanket.

**So...**

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**So...after Chapter 8 I'm probably not going to able to post chapters every day, because I already had the first five on my computer, which let me get ahead...and I've been having some major writer's block on Chapter 9.**

**The action is coming. The TRUE love story is also coming. This is just my slightly-boring, slightly-actionless introductory, meet-the-characters kind of chapters.**

**Check out Chapter 3 for my ongoing thing. Give me some characters, maybe I can break my writer's block.**


	8. Kissed

**This one is wicked long...**

**And I SHATTERED my writer's block. I have Chapter 9 planned out...just not written yet.**

**So...Here's Star Blanket and Luna's date.**

Chapter 8 - Kissed

_I don't like him, _Dana spat as I fished around in my dresser for a set of more flattering clothes.

_I can't back out now. He's very handsome though, isn't he_

I drifted off, thinking of Star Blanket's crisp and cut dark hair and attentive eyes.

_I don't care…there are better people out there._

For the first time, I wondered if Dana had a love before…before she had been guided.

_Did you have someone, Dana?_

Perhaps that was why she was so unwilling to go out with Star Blanket. Understandable, but illogical nonetheless.

_Doesn't matter. You'll never know._

It was like a taunt. A challenge.

I exhaled, frustrated. I was trying to be friendly, to become allies with her. And all she did was push, push me out of her memories. What for?

_You're just prolonging the suffering before your humans meet their inevitable eradication, _I said, trying to instigate an angry reaction. Any reaction, really.

Nothing.

Giving up, I decided on a knee-length, thin-strapped heather grey dress. I grabbed it from the drawer, letting the skirt flutter behind me as I stepped into the bathroom.

I started to shed my sweater, and stopped suddenly.

_Dana…_I began…_is there a way for you to…to give me some privacy?_

I waited for a response.

_Privacy!? This is my body too, you know._

I bit my lip. _I can't change with an…audience._

The human emotion of embarrassment tumbled over me, too strong to brush off. I glanced into the mirror. My pale cheeks were pink and flushed.

_Fine, _she relented.

[xXx]

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, waiting for Star Blanket's fingers to tap on my doorway.

_When's he coming? _Dana asked. I could hear the muffled curiosity in her voice.

_He…he didn't give a time. He just said 'tonight.'_ I threw a quick glance over to my wall clock. 6:30, it read.

My memory-accessing session was just a few hours ago. I remember how distraught my Seeker became after showing her my picture of "Jeff."

_Do you know why she reacted so strangely? _I asked, trying to pry the information from her.

_Nope._

_But you do know her._

_Drop it. Please._

There was a strange tone to Dana's voice. Desperation.

I dropped it.

[xXx]

Star Blanket leaned into the doorway, drumming his fingers on the wall as I swept the essentials into my small purse.

"Ready?" He asked pleasantly, holding out his arm. I took it happily.

"Yes. Let's go."

We walked down the hallway with our footsteps in sync. I smiled to myself, enjoying the moment.

"So, where are we going?" I asked him.

"A pizza restaurant."

"Pizza?" I asked confused.

_Pizza? _I repeated the question directing it towards Dana. She didn't seem present though, in my head.

"Pizza is like a…traditional human food." He explained.

I tensed at the word _human_, and involuntary reflex. Star Blanket felt it, and laughed.

"Keep your mind open. The humans certainly have some amazing food."

_That we do, _Dana added distantly.

We walked down the remainder of the hallway in silence. Nervousness seemed to creep up on me as I wondered whether I should be making conversation. I let the silly human feeling roll off of me.

Star Blanket led me easily through the twists and turns of the hallway. I passed Red Leaves in the Wind, who smiled at me. I smiled back.

We reached the main entry door in no time. Star Blanket pushed open the glass while I stepped out, looking at the human world with awe.

I realized I had yet to step outside of the facility.

The sky was ablaze with the orange light of the drifting sun, contrasting greatly against the rows of buildings and shops that dotted the roadside. There were Souls everywhere, striding along the streets pushing grocery carts or children in their strollers. Small cars bumped along the wide roads, pulling into the driveways and parking lots of homes and stores. The landscape was spattered with trees and flowers.

I spun in a full circle, laughing, feeling the wet touch of the end-of-summer air on my skin. A humid breeze, wet and stale, blew the skirt of my dress back.

"So," Star Blanket said happily, as if he were the one to have given me this beautiful place, "What do you think?"

I turned to him and laughed a beautiful sound that fell out of my mouth and drifted into the air. "It's amazing. It really is."

I spun in a circle once more, letting my black waves of hair fan out and spin with me.

"Let's go," Star Blanket said, gesturing to the left, "It's only a few minutes more of a walk."  
"Okay," I said, feeling like a child as I happily trotted behind him.

He led me down the sidewalks, bleached white from the constant sun. As we walked, I couldn't help but steal glances behind, drinking in the coziness of the brick and wood buildings against the fading sun. And in every space where the buildings parted, I could see the mountains, painted a mystical yellow by the sun's golden light. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from them.

How strange a sight we must have been, a handsome young man tugging along his date, who's back was turned to him, in favor of the enchanting mountains. I smiled at the thought.

_Isn't it beautiful? _I softly asked Dana, drinking in the small city. Like if I stared at it long enough, maybe I could hold it in my mind forever.

Dana didn't respond.

I finally turned around to face Star Blanket, who was looking, pleased, back at me.

We stopped at a small, brown-brick building. Bright lights hanging above the ruffled green awning made up for the fading glow of the sky as night spiraled in. Even with the sun losing its hold on the day, the breeze remained hot and mucky.

I followed Star Blanket up the steps and through the newly-painted door.

The second I stepped into the small shop, I could smell…something. A delicious salty-sweet aroma filled my head, making my mouth water and my stomach rumble. I suddenly realized how hungry I was. I had barely eaten anything over the few days I had been in this body.

A waitress in a green apron greeted us warmly and led us to a red-cushioned booth. I sat down, running my finger over the glossy wood and the unevenness of the colorful leather. Star Blanket slid in across from me.

"Hi there," Our waiter said brightly, "I'm Cami, and I will be your server on this fine evening." I liked the way she talked, with a sweet southern twang and a voice that radiated with happiness. She seemed like the kind of person everybody couldn't help but like. She was pretty too, thin with her blonde hair pulled into a long ponytail.

I felt Dana twist with envy.

_What? _I asked, bewildered.

_I…I always wanted blonde hair. _

Selfish humans. Always wanting what they don't have, whether they truly like it or not.

Cami provided us with two menus, faded papers coated in clear plastic. I searched the selection.

"I – I don't know what to get," I told Star Blanket, nervously. All of the foods on the pages were foreign to me. Onions? Mushrooms? Pepperoni?

Pepperoni. I laughed at the word, mouthing it. The _pop _of the '_p'_s on my lips made it enjoyable to say.

"I'll order for us," Star Blanket offered.

"Ok."  
I handed my menu to him as he turned to Cami.

"Could we order our drinks and food at once, please?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed, pulling out her note pad.

"We would like two soft drinks and a medium pepperoni pizza."

_Soft drinks? _I wondered to myself, imaging the texture of a fuzzy blanket in my mouth. I wrinkled my nose.

"That'll be all?" Cami asked, pleasantly.

"Yes. Thank you."

Cami strode away. I took a deep breath. It was time to make small talk.

"So," I set, letting out a puff of air, "Star Blanket, how are you enjoying Earth?"

He tilted his head, pondering the question. "It's very beautiful here. The Hosts are very complex."  
"I know. It's much more of a challenge to control emotions."

"Agreed. Healer Flames has told me that this is your sixth Life Term?"

"Yes," I said, smiling to myself, "I just haven't been able to settle down quite yet." Star Blanket laughed.

_I _don't _like him. _

Dana interrupted my conversation.

I drowned out Star Blanket's chattering about his former planets to speak with her.

_Why?_

_Because…because you don't do it right._

_Do what? _I asked, confused.

_You don't…you _don't_ like him._

_What? I happen to like him a lot, actually._

_No…no. It's just – it's just wrong._

I pulled out of my head to meet eyes with Star Blanket. He was talking about his Life Term spent on the Dolphins.

Cami returned, balancing to glasses and a tray of sandwiches. She set the two cups down and hurried away, carrying the sandwiches to another table.

I poked my "soft drink" with my straw, expecting a thick, fleece-like consistency. Instead the straw split through the dark liquid cleanly, like water. I glanced at Star Blanket.

"You do like soft drinks, correct?" He asked.

"I've actually never tried one before."

He laughed. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten you've only been on Earth for a few days. Try it. It's quite delicious."

I sipped the effervescent dark cola with caution, waiting as it travelled through my straw and into my mouth.

The sweet flavor exploded once it hit my lips. I could feel the vibrations of bubbles popping on my tongue. I laughed and swallowed the drink, burning a bit as it slipped down my throat.

Star Blanket smiled. "Do you like it?"

I nodded, already taking another sip.

"It's quite delicious."

Cami reappeared, ferrying a large silver platter over her head. She happily set it down on our table.

"Enjoy the food! Just holler if you need anything," she smiled.

I eyed the "pizza." It was a soft, baked pie with a shallow crust, slathered in seasoned tomato sauce and topped with a festival of cheese. Salty circles of meat freckled the dough.

Star Blanket removed a single triangular slice from the pie and set it on a plate. I tried copied his movement.

"Ow!" I hissed, burning my finger on the hot platter. Star Blanket looked up at me.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," I said, clutching my finger.

Carefully, avoiding the se of my stinging finger, I picked up the fork and knife, and began cutting my slice of pizza into small squares. I heard Star Blanket laugh.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"The food is meant to be eaten with your hands."  
"Excuse me?" I asked. Surely humans didn't eat with their hands. How unsanitary.

I watched as Star Blanket lifted the pizza by its flour-dusted crust.

"You try it," He said pleasantly.

Haltingly, I held the pizza to my lips, trying not to let the sticky cheese drip off of the bread.

The salty taste of cheese immediately flourished in my mouth, backed by the sweetness of the tomato sauce and the mint of the basil.

"Wow," I said, amazed at the assemblage of flavors.

"It's good, isn't it?"

"Very."

[xXx]

We walked home through the blackness of the night. The lingering light that Star Blanket and I had seen was obliterated by the crush of darkness.

The air was still and quiet. We walked by the light of the smudgy lampposts that skipped along the sidewalk. The bustle of people had slowed and the roads were desolate, except for the few, lone headlights shining in the distance. The lights in the shops and apartments had dwindled to a small sprinkle of night owls.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" He asked softly.

I looked up into the sky. Many of the stars tonight were dull, merely flickering in and out of existence in the vast black ocean.

"Indeed."

I could even see the dark outline of the distant low-lying mountains. They're enchanting aura was gone, replaced with a slightly more ominous air.

"Say," I said, gesturing to the mountains, "Do those mountains have a name?"

_They're the Bull Mountains._

"The Bull Mountains," Star Blanket said.

I wasn't really listening though.

_Dana! Where have you been all night?_

No answer.

_Dana, talk to me please._

Silence. The soundless night matched my inner thoughts. I was beginning to get frustrated.

_Dana, you're being so childish about this. You refuse to talk to me simply because I made a decision you disliked._

Quiet. I could hear nothing but Star Blanket's breathing as we strode down the trail towards home.

_Fine Dana. In case you've forgotten, this is my body now._

_It will never be._

The words were more sinister and more menacing than any shout, any roar of any animal I'd ever heard.

We reached the facility, tall and white with rows of glass windows stretching around the building. Star Blanket and I stepped in wordlessly.

"Well," He said, "My bedroom is in the opposite direction as yours. It's best I get going."

"Oh," I said. I was hoping he'd walk me to my quarters.

He leaned in. I suddenly realized how close we were, acutely aware of his arm wrapped around my waste.

"I had a nice time, Luna," He said. I tensed, averting my eyes and staring at the floor.

"I did too."

I thought of Dana's words, wondering what it was that I was doing wrong.

Suddenly, Star Blanket closed the space between our lips.

The warmth was pleasant for a half second.

Then Dana exploded.

I was blinded as I tumbled into another memory, this one more real than any of the ones before, like I was actually living it.

_I was small. A young child, standing in front of our art class. _

_Fifth grade. It was fifth grade._

_I was presenting a Partnership Painting. My partner…he was…he was a childhood friend of mine. A very good one. _

The picture sharpened even more as I accessed the details, with Dana distracted and enraged.

_The Partnership Painting was a project where you painted your partner, and your partner painted you. My painting was very good. I had accurately caught the essence of the boy next to me on paper._

_His name was Collin Everly. We were…neighbors, we had known each other since we were in diapers. _

_We stood in front of everyone, as my classmates gushed over my picture._

_"Yeah," Collin said, agreeing with the compliments being thrown around the room, "Dana is the best artist ever!"_

_And then kissed me. Her. Dana._

_He grabbed her hand and kissed Dana in front of the whole class._

_And everyone laughed. Except for the two children giggling because their lips had just met._

_And they never spoke of that day again._

The memory faded, and I was face-to-face with a very angry, very shocked Star Blanket. He looked at me, stunned, with a red, painful-looking handprint on his cheek. I looked down at my fingers. And it dawned on me.

I had slapped him.

_Dana_ had slapped him. I clasped my hand over my mouth.

"I am so, so, so sorry," I whispered.

He just stared at me.

"My Host…" I said trailing off, "My Host did this. She's been resistant."

_What!? _Dana roared, _What is _wrong _with you! _

I could feel the anger radiating from her voice.

_How could you tell him!?_

I chose not to respond.

Star Blanket, still slack-jawed, wordlessly turned and strode down the hallway, towards his quarters.

I stood alone in the hallway.

_I hate you._

Dana's words were crisp and matter-of-fact.

And then, out loud, I said the scariest, most human-like thing to ever leave my mouth.

"I hate you, too."

**DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN.**

**Action coming. Chapter nine. Chapter ten. Chapter eleven. That's when secrets will be revealed...**

**Reviews make me smile :) **


	9. Resistant

**It's definitely not my favorite chapter, sorry guys. I've been in a bit of a Writer's Rut.**

Chapter 9

I sat in the still silence of my room, staring at the open doorway.

After about half an hour of aimless stumbling, I passed a night-watch Seeker outside of the Hospital area and asked him to direct me to my room.

It wasn't hard after all. The facility was set up in a forked _Y _shape. Take the left hall, turn left, turn left again. Easy.

I had been sitting in the dark for at least two hours. It must've been past midnight by now.

Dana was absent. Maybe I could use this absence to my advantage, seeing as there was no chance of me getting any sleep tonight.

I easily felt my way through the dimly lit hallways towards the hospital, where I heard my Seeker was staying. Apparently, things had gotten worse after the incident in the interrogation room.

"Hello," I said to a new Seeker, waiting outside the hospital doors. The other one, the one who helped me find my quarters, must've finished his shift.

"Hello," He said pleasantly, "What are you hear for?"

"I'm visiting my friend."

"At such a late hour?"

"Yes. I've been so fraught with worry that I can't seem to sleep." The lie slipped out of my mouth easily.

"I'm sure your friend will be fine," He reassured, opening the doors for me.

I squinted at the fluorescent light of the hospital room. My eyes weren't used to it, after hours spent in the dark.

My Seeker and another woman sat at the other side of the room, talking in hushed whispers. They didn't notice me.

"Hello," I said brightly. Their conversation stopped abruptly.

"You must be Luna," The woman said, standing up. She had a sweet, wan face with large, mocha-colored eyes and blonde hair. Her whole appearance made me want to trust her.

"I am Fallen Flower. I will be replacing Cassandra until she gets her new body."

_New body?_

Dana spoke to me for the first time since slapping Star Blanket.

"New body?" I repeated the words.

"Yes. Apparently Cassandra's Host has been extremely resistant this entire time."

_She's still alive in there, _Dana gasped. I felt her initial shock, then surge of elation.

_That means they're going to discard the body._

_ What? _Dana's happiness drained away. _No…they can't…but she's still alive!_

_ Who is she?_

Dana immediately clammed up.

Fallen Flower continued.

"I will not tolerate any withholding of information. Every memory that you access will be immediately reported to me." Her voice had gone from sweet and welcoming to cold and detached in seconds.

_They can't…but…_

Dana continued to stammer.

"Do you have any new information?" She questioned, "Is that why you're here?"

"No…I'm sorry. I just couldn't sleep."

Fallen Flower's mouth pressed into a tight, irritated line.

Healer Flames burst through the hospital doors, taking me by the arm.

"Healer!" Fallen Flower demanded, "What is the meaning of this!"

The Healer wheeled around to face her.

"Star Blanket has just alerted me that Luna has been coping with a resistant Host."

The new Seeker's face remained calm and placid. "Healer, we have talked about this before. Until we get the information we need –" The Healer cut her off.

"No. We are removing her."

Fallen Flower made a surprised noise. "Healer! I'm sorry, but this is not you're decision. You are way out of line!"

"I'm sorry Seeker, but I have automatic jurisdiction over the patient if I fear for her safety."

"Safety?" The Seeker cried, agitated, "When did this turn into an issue about _safety?_"

"The Host is still very present. Star Blanket is positive that she took over Luna's body for a moment, and attacked him."

"Flames Spreading," She said, her calm, sweet face returning, "We are closer than we've ever been to finding the rogues."

"It's true," Said Cassandra, from her bed. I had almost forgotten she was here.

"Cassandra," My Healer said, dropping the conversation and striding to her bedside, "How are you feeling? Why didn't you say something earlier? About your Host?"

She laughed weakly. "I was sure I could handle it. I guess I was wrong."

Healer Flames and my Seeker became engrossed in their chat about resistant Hosts. Fallen Flower, taking advantage of the situation, motioned for me to follow her. I obliged.

We slipped out of the hospital wing, quickly and silently finding the door at the other end of the hallway. The interrogation room. I walked into the white room, flipping on the lights. My new Seeker locked the door behind us.

"You must have new information," She said urgently, taking long strides over to the windows and drawing the curtains.

I thought of Collin Everly.

_You'd be wasting your time on him, _Dana said darkly, _he was taken too._

A pang of sorrow washed over me, remembering the overwhelming love that was laced into every memory of him.

_Were you two a couple?_

_ No._

"I've found a lot of information on her childhood friend, Collin Everly. But he was already…he's already been guided."

"Collin Everly…" She mumbled to herself, "Strange. Was he taken by Seekers?"

_Yes._

"Yes."

"Perhaps your Host is planting false information to protect the humans?"

_What?_

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, it's just that I've looked at the list of those who have been seized by Seekers in the Montana area over the years many times. Collin Everly doesn't seem to ring a bell."

"Oh."

_Ask her where we can find the list._

"Is there a way I could access this list?"

Fallen Flower narrowed her eyes slightly, leaning across the table.

"Of course. It can be easily accessed in the computer lab," Her kind tone did not match her suspicious expression, "But you'd need supervision."

_Go see it _now.

"When would I be able to see it?"

"Maybe in a few days," She said vaguely, "Back to the information. Does Dana have any other living family members?"

_Say no._

"I'm afraid she's not allowing me to access the information."

"Well, push through her walls. It's very simple…"

I shook my head, irritated with what she was implying. "She has no surviving family."

_Thanks. _I can hear the true, gratefulness in her voice.

"Well," Fallen Flower said, standing up suddenly, "That'll be all. I'm sure your Healer will be furious about your disappearance. Its best you get back to bed, actually. It's easier to talk about the fate of your body when you're not around."

"Ok…" I said, hesitantly. Shouldn't the fate of my body be up to me too?

I stood in the doorway. Fallen Flower turned to me.

"Well, go on then. Get some sleep." She turned, dismissing me, and strode back to the hospital wing.

I stood in the dark hallway, swaying between going back to bed and wandering the building in search of the computer lab.

_Computer Lab, _Dana said forcefully, _we have to find the list._

I sighed, thinking about our recent hateful argument. I realized how weak I was getting, letting her push me around, trying to "save" her loved ones.

_There's no saving my…your Seeker. Her body, I mean. _Dana said mournfully.

_Will you ever tell me who she is?_

_Maybe someday._

**So yeah. It's very...meh. I'm still trying to work with Dana and Luna's relationship. I don't want it to move to fast, but I need to get the rest of the story in motion.**

**Reviews, especially constructive criticism, are especially appreciated. Rate my writing out of five stars and I'll give you a...a prize! I'll write you a grateful thank you note!**


	10. Tears

**So I'm going to start making the description of my story a suspenseful-bit of my current chapter. Good idea?**

**Again, this is not one of my favorite chapters. I've been getting really anxious about getting everything started. I also have been really distracted with an AU I thought of. Like, one of the high school kinds? But I'm trying to make mine as different as I can, because all of the high school AUs are unique in their own way. I've been trying to find my "unique element," and I think I have...and...and I'm like rambling.**

**So here's Chapter Ten!**

Chapter 10 - Tears

I was standing outside of the computer lab, fighting with Dana.

_Go in! Find the freaking list!_

_ No. I'm sorry, this is getting ridiculous._

She had been manipulating me, and I knew it. Throwing memories of Jeff and the Collin-boy. Katie, too. I didn't love any of them, actually. This body did.

_You are a clever human, Dana._

_ What!? Actually, whatever. The computer lab! Move before someone sees us!_

_ I am not weak though. I know my duties._

I pushed Dana. Not pushed her, physically, but more of shoved her back in my head. I slammed her through one of her walls.

It seemed to crumble immediately. The memory flashed up immediately. The girl, the one I was speaking to in the dark, under the floorboards. I could see her.

_We were under the floorboards of a small house, by the swamp. Our house, our safe house. My family's safe house._

_ We were speaking about the Seekers in the area. Yes – that's why we were sleeping under the floorboards – in case they found the house. I remember we had moved anything important into Jeff's backpack. Things like pictures, maps, pretty much anything from our old lives. Anything that could be used to identify us._

_ I remember my dad – My dad! _

I tried to picture his face as another memory obliterated the one I was focusing on.

_It was a sorrowful memory. A powerful one, one that changed this body's life._

_ I was bent over someone in the snow. A man, one I knew had once been so strong, but was now very sick. My father._

_ He had nearly everything I owned wrapped around him. Blankets, quilts, my parka. If he could, I knew he would protest against this. He was too weak to talk._

_ His vomit was everywhere, and his fever seemed to be rising with every passing minute. My breath was shallow in the freezing cold. I was only in a t-shirt and jeans, now that my parka was wrapped around him. _

_My father's forehead was hot to the touch, but I remember trying to convince myself that it wasn't him. That it was my own freezing, brittle fingers that made him seem so warm. That he was actually a perfectly normal temperature._

_ It was completely hopeless._

_ Snowflakes landed on my dark lashes, my eyes burning with stinging tears. It was so unfair. We had made it so far._

_ The others were back in the tent. It was nighttime, and we needed to get moving by dawn. Though it was dangerous with Seekers on the lookout, we had been in the same, open snowy field for days, trying to see if my father would recover. It was clear he wouldn't._

I leaned against the hallway wall, searching my memories of who was in the tent.

Jeff and Brenna. My siblings.

Brenna. I smiled to myself. Another Hatch sister. Her face filled my mind. She looked almost exactly like me, except for a spattering of sun freckles and a stronger jaw. Only a few years older than I.

I felt happiness dance through me. This was the way things were supposed to be. My body, my mind, my memories.

Still though, I thought of Jeff's smiling eyes. Collin and I, kissing in the art room. The way Katie would braid my hair into all sorts of twists and knots.

I tried to hang on the happiness, but I could feel it leaving me.

I could also feel Dana's presence coming back.

_ You bitch. I hate you._

She was weak though. Her voice was strained.

I was extremely curious about the computer lab though. I did want to know whether Katie and Collin had been found.

Silently, I turned the handle of the door behind me, and eased into the dark room. The lights flipped on, detecting my motion.

I was feeling more and more suspicious. If Star Blanket had said I was dangerous, then shouldn't I have less…freedom? I thought a Soul in a Resistant Host was supposed to be monitored? Quickly, I threw a glance behind me.

I shook off the strange feeling, sitting down into the closest desk chair.

I tapped the mouse, and the computer flickered on to meet me with its bright glow.

It wasn't locked. There was no need for it.

I had never been particularly good with computers. This body, I mean, had never had the knack for them that her brother did.

Jeff. Jeff is good with computers. I couldn't help but grin. The constant flow of information was completely liberating. I knew things now, things about this body's past.

Despite my lack of knowledge on computers, I easily found the folder labeled _Rogues Humans. _There was a collection of documents in it. I clicked on the one labeled _After Initial Wave._

_The ones that ran, _Dana said distantly, _ran from you…parasites…_

I admit it, I was slightly hurt by her comment. I sighed. Before Star Blanket came into the picture, we had been getting along so well. It was quite a foolish alliance though.

I scrolled through the list, as names jumped out at me. A few of my classmates. Rick Willard, the jock. Rosalie Bray, the quietest girl in the school. Belisma Blanca, the girl who moved from Spain.

Edna White. I laughed. Mrs. White, Dana's English teacher during the First Wave. I smiled, imagining the frail, frizzy-haired woman running from her silver-eyed 'enemies.' I wondered how long she'd lasted.

Katie Honeywell. _The _Katie, the brown-haired-ponytail Katie. Jeff's girlfriend. I felt a touch of sadness for him. He and his loved ones on opposite sides of the invasion.

Carrie Hatch.

_I started to float down into the memory. I was sitting, picnicking with a woman –_

Every wall in Dana's head went up. I felt her slap me.

Everything was stinging on one side of my face. My hands and cheeks rang, vibrating with the burn of skin smacked against skin.

_Get out of my head before I kill the both of us._

_ I see I've struck a nerve there._

My voice echoed with a human-like taunt. Dana said nothing.

I continued scrolling through the list, looking for Collin.

"Everly, Everly, Everly…" I mumbled as my eyes hit the last name on the page. Painstakingly, I scrolled back up the list, whispering each name. No Collin.

_You liar! _I hissed, the human emotion of anger filling me, _He is a Rogue!_

_ What? _Dana was befuddled, temporarily forgetting her hatred of me, _But I wasn't…but…but he said –_

A memory slammed me, knocking me back into my chair.

_It had been just me, Jeff and Brenna since…since my…_

Another one of Dana's walls slammed into me, toppling over my chair with me in it.

I laid in the dark room, panting, with my legs and arms sprawled at odd angles. Thinking quickly, I dodged her wall and dove deeper into the memory.

_I knew my dad was coming home soon, but I didn't expect him home _so _soon. He was returning from a trip – a very long one. One on which he had taken Collin._

_ When Jeff saw the approaching figure, he immediately shoved us inside our small, swamp cabin. I remember stumbling alongside Brenna as she pushed me underneath the floorboards and into the dark._

_ Within minutes, the disguised hatch that allowed us to access the space under the floor was opening from the outside. Brenna and I were walking out to meet a very happy Jeff, with his arm slung around my father._

_ I looked around, joy and love blooming in my chest. I snuck a glance through the window, searching for Collin. There was nothing outside but the trees._

_ I turned to my father as he pulled me into a weak hug. I pushed away from him, taking two stumbling steps back into the wall._

_ "Where's Collin?"_

_ The question hung in the air like a disease, killing the laughter and happiness in the room._

_ I stared down my father, acutely aware of the tired lines beneath his smiling face._

_ "Where's Collin?" I demanded. His smile started to drain away. And then I knew._

I snapped out of the memory. I felt a warm, saltiness dripping down my face. I rocketed up, alarmed.

Blood?

I traced the path of the liquid and examined my fingers. There was no redness, no bitter flavor.

Tears. They were tears.

_Perhaps there was a mistake in the list, _I sniffled, knowing that this was untrue. Souls did not make mistakes, especially careless typing errors.

Collin, the boy that Dana had thought to be dead to her for so long, was actually alive in his own body.

The light's flickered on. I wheeled around, leaping up from the tangle of limbs and chair legs that I had become after Dana knocked me over.

Fallen Flower stood, leaning against the door and clapping her hands slowly.

"Alright," She said, turning to my Healer, who had stepped out from behind her, "I've been defeated. She has become a danger to herself and others. Take her out."

**So yeah. Luna was being followed, if it was unclear why Fallen Flower and Healer Flames were there. **

**Reviews pwease? Harsh ones are very appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Happy Mariano Rivera Day. Mo, you will be missed /3**


	11. Heartbeat

**So first off...since there was confusion regarding the last chapter:**

**Basically, Dana's dad was lying about what had happened to Collin. He had a reason, but neither Dana nor Luna know it yet. The Seekers kept a list of everyone they found after the initial wave of Souls, which Collin should've been on if he were taken. But he wasn't.**

**Secondly: This chapter is like 600 words. It is very short. And it's also not my favorite chapter.**

Chapter 11

We were back in the hospital. I was sitting on one of the cots, trying to tear my eyes away from my sleeping Seeker. I could feel Dana reaching towards her, trapped.

"The procedure will take place tomorrow. We need to secure a storage tank first." Healer Flames said, looking down at me.

I nodded silently, surprisingly appalled by the thought of being put back into a cryotank. The small space combined with the unawareness that accompanied hibernation that was not appealing to me.

"Will I have a chance to say goodbye to…some people?" I wanted a chance to see Star Blanket. I wasn't sure why. I just felt this strong urge to explain everything that was happening, how fast life on this planet seemed to move.

Fallen Flower laughed. "It's unnecessary. We'll have a new Host for you soon after the procedure."

"Oh." Fallen Flower quite possibly made me more uncomfortable than my Seeker. They were both very similar, in many ways. Sweet, trusting faces that were barely an inch thick.

"You'll barely even notice the transition, Luna," Healer Flames said comfortingly, "We can forget Dana ever happened."

I nodded again, searching my head for the remaining voice of my Host. She was being oddly quiet.

I awkwardly shifted around in my hospital sheets, feeling as if everyone's eyes were on me.

_Can you…Can we go see your Seeker? _She asked softly, reappearing in my mind.

_Why?_

_ You know what? Never mind. _She snapped. I shrugged at her angry outburst.

"You can head back to your room, Luna. You've had a rough night," Healer Flames said, breaking the silence.

"We'll have a Seeker positioned outside your doorway, just in case," Fallen Flower chimed in. I smiled tightly.

"Thank you."

[xXx]

I could feel Dana's fear regarding my removal. She was scared – terrified, actually – to die. To die completely, her body discarded, into the incinerator. I felt her cringe.

_It's painless. You won't be aware when you are discarded._

She didn't respond.

I felt like I had been bouncing up and down on my bed for hours. I was very anxious, for some reason. The large, muscular Seeker positioned outside my doorway made me feel uneasy.

Suddenly, I leapt to my feet and began pacing around my mirror. I didn't understand why humans reacted to stress with pointless movement.

I felt the mood inside Dana shift from fear…to something else.

_I…I have to get out of here, _Dana breathed.

_ What?_

_ I _have _to get out of here! _Her voice was wild.

_Calm – Calm down Dana, _I said, suddenly afraid.

_No! _She screamed. An all-too familiar pounding came back, this time more menacing.

_Let me out!_

_ I can't! _I cried as the pain intensified. I fell to my knees, eyeing the Seeker, who was completely unaware of the war inside my head.

_Let. Me. Out! _With each word the pain worsened, from burning to searing to torturous. I felt hot, salty tears slipping down my cheeks.

Everything started to break way, jumbling into crushed pieces of sentences.

I felt Dana's presence more than I ever had.

And just like that, my thoughts liquefied into

a place where Dana's thoughts were mine and

mine were hers and we shared

memories

and then the pain –

there was so much pain – but it started to drain away but I was still

stuck

here, frozen in this strange

confused

state, where Dana's entire life was just

one

long sentence

and the only sounds I could hear were the whirring of some unseen wind ant the steady rhythm of our

heartbeat

and I could feel her pain

but it was a different kind of pain, not like the kind that she gave to me

in my head,

not like the pounding,

no, it wasn't that kind of pain,

pain in her

heart

for all the people that she had lost

and all the people who thought they'd lost her

and maybe they did lose her

and I saw all of the things she never got to do

how she imagined them

and I knew all of the things that she never got to tell people

about how mad she was, at her dad for

lying

about Collin

I felt her anger and resentment

because Dana liked Collin

a lot

maybe even

loved

him

and Dana thought he was

dead

when he wasn't

and she had her suspicions about why her father would

lie

but she still wasn't quite sure

why

he did it

and she wanted to tell her mother that she loved her

and it was so unfair it made her want to scream because

her mother wasn't

lost,

she was completely

alive

because she was

resistant,

just like me – or Dana – it didn't seem to matter because we seemed like

the same person

anyway her mother was alive

inside my Seeker

yes

yes, that's who she had been this whole time

Carrie Hatch, my beautiful golden-haired mother

who looked like an angel

and sang like one too

and we would all gather in the living room

before the invasion

and we would dance and laugh as the fireplace crackled and ashy smoke billowed out from the chimney

and by the firelight

Dad would play his cello

making fast and quick dancing music

and my mother would tilt her head to the side and let her hair swoop over one shoulder and she would sing

and watch her children dance

but she was alive and it was so unfair

and then I realized that Dana was hurt

hurt and confused

but she was mostly confused

and also angry

so angry

at me

partly because I could feel everything now

because I was her and she was me

and also because that's just what Dana was

that's what she was made of:

anger

confusion

and a tiny, tiny thread of

hope.

**Sooo. There's my chapter, that doesn't really even count as a whole chapter. It's like a half-chapter.**

**Reviews make me happy :) So do suggestions and follows ! **

**But seriously, reviews are the best. ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY if you hate it. So if you hate my story, it is practically your DUTY to review it.**

**Thank you :)**


	12. Opportunities

**Another short chapter...**

**Sorry it took so long to update :(**

Chapter 12 - Opportunity

The moment broke as quickly as it had begun.

I was back in my bedroom, leaning against my cot with the Seeker positioned outside my doorway. But I was feeling more connected with Dana than ever. I could tell she was felling strange too, after visiting all of my memories of past lives in different Hosts.

I settled against the backboard of my cot, tipping my head to the ceiling and closing my eyes.

_Collin is still here! _Her sudden outburst made me jump. I took a deep breath, irritated.

_ Yes, I understand that. _

_ No, I don't think you do. If Collin is still here, then we have to find him._

I rocked, uneasily, from side to side. I couldn't pretend that there wasn't a part of me that wanted to get out of here. Away from the eyes of the Seekers, towards the body's family.

_I can't, _I reassured myself, _there's a Seeker outside the doorway._

_ Just…just say that you need to use the bathroom._

_ Oh._

I rose to my feet, trying to appear confident as I strode across the tiles.

"May I quickly use the bathroom?" I asked pleasantly, not bothering to ask myself _why _I was doing this.

"Don't you have one in your room?"

My mind went blank.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, "But…"

_Tell him that it's broken._

_No! A Soul built this room. We don't build things that break._

_Tell him you clogged it!_

_No! _I said, suddenly embarrassed.

_Do you want to get out of here or not? _She demanded.

I sighed. It…it didn't matter anyway. I would likely never see this man again.

"You see," I began awkwardly, "this body has…um, extraordinarily large…excrement. And the toilet was not able to…manage it."

The Seeker's face flushed, running sausage-like fingers through his hair. "Well then…um, the public bathrooms are just down the hall."

"Thank you," I said, hurrying away.

I found the door labeled _Women's _quite easily, and slipped inside before anyone could tell me to go back to my room.

I leaned against the sink.

_What now? _I asked.

_Now…now we leave._

_What? We can't just walk out the door!_

Dana was quiet for a second. I let my eyes survey the room, taking in the three white stalls along the opposing wall, and the three matching sinks behind me. The roll of paper towels by the window.

_The window! _Dana cried.

_The window?  
Yes! We're on the first floor, right?_

I walked across the room, leaning into the window. It was less than a three or four foot drop.

_I don't have anything to break it with._

_Mmmh… _Dana said softly, _check the stalls._

I swung open the stall doors, seeing nothing but a toilet and a plastic toilet paper rack.

_Well, _Dana said, _we have us._

_ Us? _

_ Yeah. Our body. _

I imagined the body crashing through the glass, the window shattering into tiny, jagged blades.

_No. We'd die. _

Dana considered this for a second.

_ Probably. What about the hospital? It's just down the hall, see if you can find anything in there._

_ What if someone sees me?  
Just tell them that you have permission to be there._

_ Okay…_I exited the bathroom, throwing a quick glance down the hall for approaching Seekers. No one was around.

The hospital was just one hallway around from the bathroom. I grimaced, remembering the time before Dana, during my questioning. During my second episode of pounding, the one where I had been so anxious to find the bathroom. Little did I know it was just around the corner.

I slipped between the doors to the hospital wing.

The room was surprisingly quiet. The only sounds in the room were the beeping of some complex machinery and the breathing of the room's only patient, my Seeker.

Dana's mother.

I felt my hand reach out towards her, without me telling it too. It dropped immediately.

_I want to take her with me, _Dana hissed.

_I – I can't Dana. We can't just drag her out of the hospital._

She was silent. I was, too. I didn't know what to say.

_Whatever, _she said, trying to disguise her obvious anger at the situation, _just grab something that looks heavy and get out of here._

_ Okay_

Quickly, I pulled a heavy, metal tool off of one of the countertops. I glanced over at my Seeker, still sleeping soundly.

Feeling only slightly guilty, I tucked the metal, scissor-like tool under my arm.

As I exited the room, the stress started to eat me. My breathing was shallow and tense. Had the Seeker outside my room grown suspicious? I closed my eyes in the dark hallway, listening to the rush of blood in my ears. The hospital doors softly fell shut behind me.

I shakily stepped toward the bathroom, my body tensing with anticipation. What would happen when I never came back to my quarters? What would Star Blanket think?

I was overwhelmed by the memory of Collin. The way his eyes changed color to match the sky.

Blindly, I stumbled into the bathroom on legs aching to run.

I bit my lip, suddenly freezing at the sight of the tall window.

_Throw it, _Dana said.

_Throw it, _I repeated to myself. Haltingly, I raised my arm high, with the heavy scissors shaking between my fingertips. I thought of Star Blanket and Healer Flames.

_Throw it. Throw it!_

I thought of Cassandra and Fallen Flower. And everyone who thought Dana was gone, that she was dead.

Without my consent, my arm flung forward and the scissors split across the room. I held my breath.

It crashed into the window and the curtain of glass shattered, shattering into a scintillating pile at my feet.

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